21st Century consensus:Those children born to U.S. citizen-parents in foreign countries qualify as American citizens, or natural born Citizens. So, a child born in a foreign country to American parents or parent can become president of the United States of America.

Presidential eligibility is considered a "non-justiciable political question" that might possibly be a Congressional question and not a question for the U.S. Supreme Court. - Wikipedia

Within Article II of the U.S. Constitution (article and part abridged):"No person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States" can become president. Other requirements included in this part of Article II: The president has to be of the "Age of thirty-five Years and had been fourteen Years a Resident within the United States." - The World Almanac 2015 & Wikipedia

President Obama was eligible to run for and become president (even if he was born in Kenya, which was proven to be untrue, as his mother was born in America), and so was Senator Cruz (who was born in Canada, whose father was Cuban, but whose mother was born in the U.S.).

From 1950 to 2014, tax receipts from personal income have consistently been at and between 7 and 9 percent. In 2014, 8.1 percent.Tax receipts as a percentage of the Gross Domestic Product has been under twenty percent from 1950 to 2014 in the U.S."Percentage of taxes paid by highest quintile of income earners has steadily gone up since 1980. In 1980 the top twenty percent paid about fifty-five percent of all income taxes. Today it's just shy of seventy percent.""The same goes for the top one percent, which went from about fifteen percent in 1980 to just shy of thirty percent today."However, the top marginal tax rate is lower now than in 1980: the top marginal tax rate in 1980 was (approximately) seventy percent and was (approximately) forty percent in 2013.In 1955, a ninety-one percent tax rate was charged on income "over $3,425,766 when adjusted for inflation.""Corporate tax rates have always been lower than fifty percent." When personal income tax rates are reduced many businesses switch from the corporate tax system to "filing under the individual tax system."sources: Tax Foundation, Tax Policy Center, Alan Reynolds, from an article (11/24/15) by Andrew Syrios in Mises Daily Articles/ Mises Institute

added 12/1 (from a post on 4/16/16): "An estimated 45.3% of American households -- roughly 77.5 million -- will pay no federal individual income tax, according to data for the 2015 tax year from the Tax Policy Center, a nonpartisan Washington-based research group." - Google (4/16)​

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"Cynicism is a self-devouring cage, a prison cell that creates self-doubt, which has no horizons only self-imposed limitations, a flat and, uh, scorched earth. Idealism as gossamer concrete, newly born, fragile and tenuous, can grow; can morph, into a foundation of hope. Idealism as salvation can be a dogged, taciturn, and, ah, adventurous pursuit of life, building a future where there was none, human being by human being…"

​​“At 1:50 PM EEST on 24 November 2017, the al-Rawda mosque was attacked by roughly 40 gunmen during Friday prayers. The mosque is located east of the town of Bir al-Abed in Egypt's North Sinai Governorate. It is one of the main mosques associated with the Jarriya Sufi order, one of the largest Sufi orders in North Sinai. The Jaririya order is named for its founder, Sheikh Eid Abu Jarir, who was a member of the Sawarka tribe and the Jarira clan. The Jarira clan resides in the vicinity of Bir al-Abed. The gun and bomb attack killed more than 305 people and injured more than 128, making it the deadliest terrorist attack in Egyptian history. It is the second deadliest terrorist attack of 2017 to date, after the Mogadishu bombings in October.” - Wikipedia

“I, ah, drew two eyes with a magic marker on the head of my penis, just above the pee spout. When Tina came back into the House Judicial Committee I was naked, and I manipulated the pee spout with my hand, um, so that it worked like a little mouth. I said, in a cartoon voice, ‘Tina, Tina, I want you to support my position on the Standard Merger and Acquisition Reviews Through Equal Rules Act of 2017.’ But, now she claims I sexually harassed her. What the hell is she talkin about?” (this is a collaborative toon)

November 6:“At least 26 people were killed and 20 others were injured when a gunman opened fire in a church in the small town of Sutherland Springs, Texas, during a service Sunday.“Spanning from 18 months old to 77 years old, the victims of the shooting had gathered for a Sunday morning service at the First Baptist Church, where members of the community attended regular church services and, recently, a Halloween festival with games, candy and costumes. The victims included the 14-year-old daughter of the church’s pastor, as well as eight members of the same family that spanned three generations"... -Time/ Jennifer Calfas

November 7:… "Stephen Willeford, who lives near the church, grabbed his own gun and ran out of the house barefoot to confront the gunman.“’What do you say to the man who stepped up when he heard the gunshots? I'd say he's a hero,’ Wilson County Sheriff Joe Tackitt Jr. told CNN's Chris Cuomo on Monday. 'I don't think there's any question about that. Had he not done what he did, we could have lost more people.’“As Kelley sped away in a pearl-colored Ford Explorer, Willeford knew he still had a part to play. He spotted Johnnie Langendorff's truck across the street and hailed him down.” – CNN/ Saeed Ahmed, Doug Criss, & Emanuella GrinbergThe two chased the gunman until he drove off of the highway and died. - Various sources

November 12:“While the church could not be immediately reached for comment, interested donors can give money directly to the First Baptist Church through its website or Facebook page. Donors can donate funds to the church with their credit cards, debit cards or PayPal accounts here, or using the Facebook ‘donate’ tab on the church’s page here.” -Time/ Jennifer Calfas

​November 15:“Read Wednesday’s update here: California rampage death toll increases to 5 as police say gunman killed his wife before attacking school. “A gunman shooting at random people and locations killed four people Tuesday in Northern California, attacking an elementary school and a woman driving her children to school during the rampage, authorities said.” - Washington Post/ Mark Berman, Susan Svrluga, & Ellie Silverman

November 16:Corning, California: “A custodian at Rancho Tehama Elementary School is being credited with diverting the attention of Tuesday's shooter just long enough to give teachers the seconds they needed to protect their students and save lives. “Richard Fitzpatrick, superintendent of the Corning Union Elementary School District, praised all of his staff at the rural school during the community rampage by 44-year-old (the murderer), but singled out the courage of his head custodian while school officials were finishing a lockdown.” - USA Today/ Mike Chapman

​Suppose, a domestic abuser, more given to killing his wife with a gun, finds an electronic tool, a weapon -- ultrasonic, microwave, electromagnetic -- that can be purchased on-line or built by a competent electrician, more effective to murder his wife. By using these invisible weapons he can effect murder by seemingly accidental means. His wife dies in a car crash, drowns, falls down the stairs, commits suicide… Which method do you think the wife-killer, a murderer, would choose, firearms or electronic weapons?What if the media or law enforcement seems unaware of this technology?

Please see Carbuncle Moon post: 10/20/17 and Electronic Friggin Banshees in the short story section...

“We eagerly, uh, got in our new used truck. We closed the doors -- sniff, sniff. Ugh -- There was a cloying smell like calcified toe jam and melted plastic. My 12-year-old son, Conor, groaned: ‘I can’t breathe dad. I can’t breathe’ -- I grabbed, ah, the offending deodorizer, which was hidin in plain sight hangin from the rearview mirror, and, um, I ripped it down -- ‘No dad it stinks in here!’ Conor yelled. 'We need that artichoke-lookin deodorizer thing to breathe!' I calmly rebutted: No we don’t, and instructed the lad in a wise and fatherly way: Roll down the freakin window son we live in Maine.”

Kevin O'Kendley is the owner of Carbuncle Moon, and the author of all original material on the website (there has been a very limited editorial input in some of my work). Quoted sources are noted. I am responsible for all posts. Kevin O'Kendley: P.O. Box 172, Winterport, Maine, 04496/ and then my next address... ksokendley@outlook.com.

Technical help is provided by an evolving computer genius, Conor O'Kendley. A good kid with a great heart who can be reached at P.O. Box 172, Winterport, Maine, 04496.

Photography provided by visual artist Caitlin O'Kendley, a young woman with a beautiful soul.

If your nonprofit is advertised on this site and you wish to have it removed please contact me at the above listed snail-mail or email addresses. If you download a blog, cartoon, a short story -- or for any other reason -- and wish to donate $ to this site, its author and technical support personnel, please send donations to above listed addresses payable to Kevin O'Kendley. My family and I could use the dinero.All cartoons, blogs, and short stories are for sale.